The Stonecutter
A stonecutter wishes to be someone greater each time he sees more power. But will getting everything he wants truly make him happy?
Once upon a time, there was a poor man who cut stones for a living. Every day, he went to the mountain, cut stone blocks, and sold them in the market. He was happy with his life.
One day, he passed by a rich man's house. He saw the rich man sitting comfortably in the shade, with servants bringing him food. The stonecutter sighed and said, “The rich man is better than me. If I were rich, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit of the mountain heard him and granted his wish. Suddenly, the stonecutter found himself in a beautiful house with servants bringing him food. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But after a few days, he saw the king's palace from his window. It was even bigger and more beautiful than his house.
“The king is greater than me,” he sighed. “If I were the king, I would be truly happy.”
Again, the spirit of the mountain heard him and made him the king. He sat on a grand throne, and many servants obeyed his every command. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But soon, the sun shone so brightly that he had to hide inside.
“The sun is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were the sun, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit heard him once more, and suddenly, he was the sun, shining brightly over the earth. People hid from his heat, and he thought, “Now I will be truly happy.” But then, a cloud covered him, blocking his light.
“The cloud is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a cloud, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit of the mountain turned him into a cloud. He poured rain on the earth, and people ran to shelter. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But when he rained on the mountain, the mountain stood tall and strong, unaffected by the rain.
“The mountain is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a mountain, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit of the mountain made him into a mountain, tall and mighty. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But soon, he noticed a stonecutter chipping away at him, cutting stones from his side.
“The stonecutter is greater than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a stonecutter, I would be truly happy.”
The spirit of the mountain heard him again and turned him back into a simple stonecutter. The man smiled and was thankful. From then on, he never wished to be anyone else, knowing that being himself was enough to be truly happy.
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Ngaphambili, kwakukho indoda elihlwempu eyayisebenza njengomqingqi wamatye. Mihla le, wayenyuka intaba, eqhekeza amatye, aze athwale amatye anzima esiya kuthengisa emarikeni. Wayesoloko esebenza nzima.
Ngenye imini, wadlula kwindlu yesityebi. wayibona indoda esisityebi ihleli kakuhle emthunzini, inabasebenzi bemzisela ukudla. Umqingqi wamatye wathethela ezantsi wathi, “Isityebi sibhetele kunam, ukuba bendisisityebi, ngendonwabe ngokwenene.
Wamva umoya wentaba waza wamnika umnqweno wakhe. Ngequbuliso, umqingqi wamatye wazifumana ekwindlu entle enezicaka ezimzisela ukutya. “Ngoku ndiza konwaba ngokwenene,” wacinga njalo. Kodwa emva kweentsuku ezimbalwa, walibona ibhotwe lokumkani efestileni yakhe. Lalilikhulu kwaye lilihle kakhulu kunendlu yakhe.
“Ukumkani mkhulu kunam,” watsho. Ukuba bendingukumkani, bendiya konwaba ngokwenene.
Kwakhona wamva umoya wentaba, wamenza ukumkani. Wahlala kwiitrone ezinkulu, yaye abakhonzi abaninzi bawuthobela yonke imiyalelo yakhe. “Ngoku ndiza konwaba ngokwenene,” wacinga njalo. Kodwa kungekudala, ilanga laliqaqambile kangangokuba kwafuneka azifihle ngaphakathi.
“Ilanga linamandla kunam,” watsho. Ukuba bendililanga, bendiya konwaba ngokwenene.
Waphinda wamva umoya, wasuka waba lilanga likhanya phezu komhlaba. Abantu bazimela ngenxa yobushushu bakhe, wabe ecinga, “Ngoku ndiza konwaba ngokwenene.” Kodwa ke, ilifu lamsibekela, lasitha ukukhanya kwakhe.
“Ilifu lomelele kunam,” watsho. Ukuba bendilifu, bendinokonwaba ngokwenene.
Umoya wentaba wamguqula waba lilifu. Wagalela imvula emhlabeni, yaye abantu babalekela ekhusini. “Ngoku ndiza konwaba ngokwenene,” wacinga njalo. Kodwa xa inetha entabeni, intaba yema yomelela, ingachatshazelwa yimvula.
“Intaba yomelele kunam,” watsho encwina. Ukuba bendiyintaba, ngendonwabe ngokwenene.
Umoya wentaba wamenza intaba, ende, eyomeleleyo. “Ngoku ndiza konwaba ngokwenene,” wacinga njalo. Kodwa kungekudala, wabona umqingqi wamatye egqabhuka kuye, emsika amatye ecaleni.
“Umqingqi wamatye mkhulu kunam,” watsho. Ukuba bendingumqingqi wamatye, bendiya konwaba ngokwenene.”
Umoya wentaba wamva kwakhona waza wamguqula ukuba abe ngumnqingqi wamatye olula. Le ndoda yancuma yaza yabulela.
Wathi: “Ndiyavuya njengokuba ndinje. Enovuyo entliziyweni yakhe, wabuyela emsebenzini, engazange afune ukuba ngomnye umntu kwakhona.”
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Reflection Questions
- Why did the stonecutter keep wishing to be someone or something else?
- What did the stonecutter realize at the end of the story when he became a stonecutter again?
- Have you ever wished to be like someone else? What did you learn from that experience?
- What are the things in our lives that we can be very thankful for?
- How can we remind ourselves to appreciate what we already have in life?
Fable Quotes
True wealth is learning to be content with what you already possess.
The beauty of life is found in appreciating what is right before us.
Desire without limit leads to endless dissatisfaction.
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“The Stonecutter” is one of the 25 illustrated fables in our book, 25 Fables for Fun Quality Time.
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